CHRISTMAS CAROLING
(December)
The Christmas Caroling Initiative is project to promote comradery, brotherhood, and goodwill among the Brothers in their respective Chapters throughout the Second District. The Christmas Caroling Initiative consists of:
- Identifying sick and shut-in Brothers
- Driving to the identified Brother’s home, hospital, or nursing home
- Singing traditional Christmas carols to the Brother and/or family (presents are optional)
- Singing Brothers are to be dressed in Omega paraphernalia
The goal of this initiative is to bring Brothers closer together, use this project as a possible reclamation opportunity, and to use this initiative to engage the undergraduate Brothers in true Omega spirit.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Second District
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Fraternal solidarity
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
EYEGLASSES AND CELLPHONES
(On-going)
The purpose of the Eyeglasses and Cellphone Initiative is to collect and donate eyeglasses and cellphones to organizations who will use the donations to enhance their programs, For example, the National Federation for the Blind and Lion’s Club International collects eyeglasses and recycle the eyeglasses. The glasses are boxed, entered into a computerized inventory system and shipped to developing countries for international optical missions. Other organizations such as Secure the Call is a 501 (c) (3) charity that provides free 911 emergency-only phones to senior citizens centers, domestic violence shelters and police and sheriff departments which in turn are given back to the community and used to contact police in case of emergency. Donations are to be made at the annual Second District Conference.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Second District
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: blindness, vision impairment, domestic violence
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
GIVE A SUIT/CHANGE A LIFE CAMPAIGN
(July)
The Give a Suit/Change a Life Campaign – suit drive is an initiative sponsored by the Men’s Wearhouse. The national suit drive benefits at-risk men transitioning into the workforce by providing the men suits to wear on job interviews. The goal is to collect gently used professional attire and give a man the opportunity to transform his life into a working contributing member of society. The goal is to have the Brothers of the Second District collect and dry clean 500 men’s suits for donation to the Men’s Wearhouse Give a Suit/Change a Life initiative.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Men
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Unemployment
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
HIV/AIDS INITIATIVE
(On-going)
Although with recent medical breakthroughs HIV/AIDS has become more manageable, HIV/AIDS is still a major health concern in the Black community not only in the United States, but around the world. The purpose of the HIV/AIDS Project is to keep the public, specifically the African-American community aware that HIV/AIDS has not gone away and there still needs to be education about the disease until a cure is found. The Brothers in the Second District will distribute pamphlets and brochures about the disease. The Brothers will also create and establish partnerships with local health care providers to set up screening/testing opportunities for the community. The goal is to have the Brothers of the Second District test 500 people in the community.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Men and women
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: HIV/AIDS
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
IMMORTALIZE OMEGA PROJECT
(On-going)
The Immortalize Omega Project (IOP) is an initiative to increase public awareness of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s contribution to the community and an attempt to minimize some of the negative stigma attached to the fraternity. The Chapters in the Second District can participate in the IOP by:
- Adopting a highway or street (fraternity name on a sign)
- Participating in a local “buy-a-brick” campaign (fraternity name on the brick)
- Being a sponsor of an event (fraternity name on the tee-shirt, brochure, or banner)
The purpose is to attach the Fraternity’s name to a permanent fixture that is positive in the community, which acknowledges Omega’s presence and contribution to that specific community issue being addressed.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Men, women and children
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Several
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
OMEGA CARES
(On-going)
Omega Cares is similar to “Make-A-Wish”. Omega Cares is an initiative where the resources of the entire Second District are brought together to address a major issue or concern. Like Make-A-Wish, it could be a medical issue. A school may need band instruments or band uniforms. A senior center may need a washer and dryer. Each Corridor Representative will solicit and receive Omega Cares request. The Corridor Representatives and Second District Social Action Chairman will decide the Omega Cares recipient.
The cost to the Second District would be two thousand dollars ($2,000)
SERVICED POPULATION: Men, women and children
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Several
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
PROSTATE CANCER INITIATIVE
(On-going)
Although with recent medical breakthroughs prostate cancer has become more manageable, prostate cancer is still a major health concern in the Black community not only in the United States, but around the world. The purpose of the prostate cancer project is to keep the public, specifically the African-American community aware that prostate cancer has not gone away and there still needs to education about the disease until a cure is found. The Brothers in the Second District will distribute pamphlets and brochure about the disease. The Brothers will also create and establish partnerships with local health care providers to set up screening/testing opportunities for the community. The goal is to have the Brothers of the Second District test 500 people in the community.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Men
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Prostate Cancer
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
READING ACROSS AMERICA – SECOND DISTRICT
(March)
Reading Across America Day is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on March 2 – Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books. The Second District initiative is to have Brothers from the Chapters in the Second District to go to schools, libraries, community centers and daycare centers to read to the children. The target group is children from pre-school to third grade. As opposed to one day, the Brothers would have the entire month of March to complete this project.
The cost to the Second District is zero
SERVICED POPULATION: Children
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Illiteracy
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
(On-going)
The Rules of Engagement to Save Our Young Men is a summit to bring together law enforcement, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and community activist to discuss how a young man should conduct himself when confronted by the police. The target audience is African-America males between the ages of 10 and 22. The primary focus of the discussion is to provide life saving tips on how to survive interactions with law enforcement and other forms of authority. The task is to identify those Brothers who are in law enforcement, who are attorneys, and community activist to facilitate the summit.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Young African-American males
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Police brutality and violence
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
VETERANS PROJECT
(Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day)
The Veterans Project is a social action project where Chapters throughout the Second District are to identify and adopt the gravesite of a Vietnam- era veteran, Korean War veteran and/or World War II veteran. The Brothers in the Chapter would clean, maintain the gravesite, place flowers, and/or a small flag, along with a purple and gold ribbon on the gravesite in preparation for the Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day celebration. Special attention should be given to veterans buried in African-American cemeteries and churches. During those special holidays where soldiers are remembered, the African-American veteran tends to be forgotten The Veterans Project is an opportunity for the Brothers of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity to show reverence and honor to those African-American heroes.
The cost to the Second District is zero.
SERVICED POPULATION: Deceased Vietnam-era veterans
COMMUNITY ISSUE ADDRESSED: Military respect, African-American history
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania